Connecting to Windows Terminal Servers

a. In Windows 7 and earlier, it is found at Start -> All Programs -> Accessories.
b. In Windows 8 and later, it is in Start -> All Programs -> Window Accessories.

2. Once prompted with a window similar to below, type in the terminal server name of choice where it says Computer (e.g., “csde-ts3.csde.washington.edu”). NOTE: csde-ts1, csde-ts2, & csde-ts3 can all be used. See Choosing A Terminal Server for details.

3. Click Options.

4. In the User name field, type netid\your-username and click Connect.

5. The program will show a connection screen. Once it connects to the server, it will ask for confirmation. Press Yes.

6. Proceed with login, using NETID username prefixed with NETID\ and NETID password.

2. Once opened, Microsoft RDC will show a window like the one below. Click New in the upper-left corner.

3. The window below will appear. Enter the following details:

a. A connection name (optional)

b. The PC name/server (e.g., csde-ts3.csde.washington.edu). NOTE: csde-ts1, csde-ts2, & csde-ts3 can all be used. See Choosing A Terminal Server for details.

c. Username and password. NOTE: Username must be prefixed with NETID\ in order to properly connect.

The window should now look similar to below.

4. Click Session. Make sure that “Connect to admin session” is unchecked.

5. After checking that all the fields in General and Session have been filled out correctly, close the window.

6. Microsoft RDC for Mac will then update the connections list, which should look similar to the image below. Select the new connection and click Start in the upper-left corner.

7. The terminal server is now successfully connected! The screen should look similar to the one below. Note that the local computer can be accessed by clicking the icon circled in red in the top-right corner.

8. When finished, log off by clicking the Windows icon in the bottom left; the RDC session will log off and close on its own.

1.There are many remote desktop terminal server clients available for Unix that work with RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). They often come pre-installed on systems. If none are available, these two are good options for installation:

a. Vinagre Desktop Viewer for use on GNOME desktops.

i. To install, open a terminal and type sudo apt-get vinagre or sudo yum install vinagre.

b. Remmina Remote DesktopViewer for GTK+ desktops.

i. To install, open a terminal and type sudo apt-get remmina or sudo yum install remmina. If that does not work, then enable the Nux-Desktop repo1 RPM.

2. Open the program by navigating to it in Applications or typing its name in a terminal.

2. For computer, type in the full path. (For example, type “csde-ts3.csde.washington.edu” for terminal server 3.) Make sure protocol is set to RDP. Enter NETID credentials into the User Name and Password fields, and set the domain to NETID. Click Connect when finished.

Footnotes

You may encounter this error message: “The security database on the server does not have a computer account for this workstation trust relationship.” This is because the computer is trying to log in using a domain other than NETID. If this appears, click OK to return to the login prompt and log in again being sure to use “NETID\username”. The text underneath the login should say “Sign in to: NETID”.

Accessing Files

NOTE: Mapping a CSDE drive works best from on campus. It can be done from off campus using additional tools (see Using VPN to access your files below), but this is not suggested as a long-term solution—the drives will give an error message anytime they are unable to make a connection. The preferred off-campus method of reaching files is through Remote Desktop and Windows Terminal Server (see Connecting to Windows Terminal Servers above).

Many campus workstations already have drives mapped automatically. On those that do not, follow the steps below to access them.

Windows

1. Open File Explorer.

a. On Windows 8 and later, it can be found at Start -> (All) Programs -> Windows System -> File Explorer.

b. In Windows 7 and prior, it is called Windows Explorer and is found at Start -> (All) Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Explorer.

2. Open Map Network Drive.

a. On Windows 8 and later, click on This PC in the left navigation pane. Then click on Computer -> Map network drive on the top menu bar.

b. In Windows 7 and prior, click on Computer in the left navigation pane. Then click on Map network drive on the top options bar.

3. Choose a drive Letter from the the drop-down selection.

a. Choose any drive letter; however, to avoid confusion, we suggest CSDE’s standards (H:, R:, and T: or Z:) if possible.

4. In the Folder field, type the path to the resource. Below are the full network paths for the H:, R:, and T: drives. Note that staff and faculty home directories are stored on FS1.

Drive

Folder

H:

\\netid.washington.edu\csde\homes\user1\username (faculty or staff)

H:

\\netid.washington.edu\csde\homes\user2\studentusername
(for student accounts created before January 1st, 2013)

H:

\\netid.washington.edu\csde\homes\user3\studentusername
(for student accounts created after January 1st, 2013 and before September 2015)

H:

\\udrive.uw.edu\udrive
(for student accounts created after September 2015)

O:

\\files.nebula.washington.edu\groups\csde_office

R:

\\netid.washington.edu\csde\shares\net

T:

\\netid.washington.edu\csde\shares\transfer

G:

\\netid.washington.edu\csde\shares\GIS

5. Click Connect using different credentials. In the box that pops up, type “NetID\” and your UW NetID username. Click OK. NOTE: The Reconnect at sign-in field tells Windows to reconnect to the CSDE drive on login, and it also stores the encrypted NetID password on the computer. If the computer is used by multiple users with the same login credentials, uncheck this box to protect CSDE files from unauthorized access.

6. Click Finish to map the network drive using the provided information. If all goes well, the contents of the H: or T: drive will be displayed on the screen. To disconnect the network drive when finished, simply right-click and select Disconnect Network Drive.

Mac

1. Click Finder -> Go -> Connect to Server.

2. In the address field, type “smb://” followed by the fully qualified domain name of the file server to connect to. (For example, type “smb://udrive.uw.edu/udrive” to access u-drive directory.)

3. Log in with your NetID username and password (in the format of “NetID\username”).

4. Go to Finder and see “udrive.uw.edu/udrive” under the Shared tab. The drive will be mounted until ejected or until the user logs out.

Here is a list of drive letters and their corresponding server names:

Drive

Folder

H:

netid.washington.edu/csde/homes/user1/username (faculty and staff)

H:

netid.washington.edu/csde/homes/user2/studentusername
(for accounts created before January 1st, 2013)

H:

netid.washington.edu/csde/homes/user3/studentusername
(for accounts created after January 1st, 2013 and before September 2015)

There are three recommended software options for transferring files via FTP.

FileZilla
Choose this option if you are able to install new programs on the computer you are currently on and wish to regularly, easily transfer files. This is often the best option. Available for Mac OSX and Windows.

WinSCP
Another industry standard and favorite. Has install version as well as portable executable. Available for Windows only.

Putty SFTP
Choose this option if you cannot install software (e.g., if you are using a public computer lab or someone else’s computer). However, this is a command-line tool and lacks a graphical interface.

To connect to CSDE file server resources with SFTP, you must know the server and path that correspond to the drive you are using. The table below explains how to reference the server and file paths for various CSDE drives. Also, note the following:

Staff and faculty home directories are stored on FS1, while student directories are on FS2. However, if you are a student whose account was created between 1/1/2013 and 9/1/2015, you have a different directory to reference (see the table below).

Always connect on Port #22. (SFTP uses the same port number as SSH.)

When working with the U drive, make sure that you are using the information provided in the table below. It is very different from the rest.

The paths to use for SFTP are not the same as those used for mapping the drive.

To use SFTP on a Unix computer use, the sftp command to connect to the server. For more information about using SFTP on Unix, refer to its manual page by typing man sftp. In addition, you may use SFTP to connect to any CSDE Unix server. A list is available here.

Connecting with FileZilla

1. Open FileZilla and refer to the icon highlighted in the upper-left corner of the image below. Enter the server name (e.g., “csde-fs2.csde.washington.edu”) in the Host field, enter “NetID\” followed by the user’s UW NetID (e.g., “netid\saili“) in the Username field and password in the Password field. Enter “22” in the Port field. Click QuickConnect.

2. If the connection works, the right side of the application should resemble the image below (without the red text).

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Connecting with Putty SFTP

Putty is a freeware suite of applications that gives Windows users simple SSH secure connectivity features comparable to those of Unix or Mac OS X. Putty applications are self-contained programs that do not require installation or configuration, making them ideal in situations where software cannot be installed.

To install Putty for first use

To connect to the file servers

1. Locate psftp.exe on your computer (likely on desktop or in Downloads folder). The icon will resemble the image below.

2. Type “open” and then the name of the server to connect to. Press enter to submit.

3. If this is the first time connecting, this message should appear: “The server’s host key is not cached in the registry…” Review the message and type “y” then enter to store the key.

4. Log in with UW NetID (in the format “NetID\username”) followed by the NetID password. (Nothing will show as the password is typed; that’s normal.) For help with passwords, contact the CSDE Help Desk.

5. Once logged in, your screen should look like the image below.

6. Type “dir” to see a listing of the current directory and verify successful connection.

7. To select and navigate to another folder, type “cd” and then the name of the folder. Names are case-sensitive.

8. For a list of additional commands, type help. Official documentation is in Chapter 6 of the Putty User Manual.

A Virtual Private Networking (VPN) connection allows an off-campus computer to connect to CSDE and University resources as if it were temporarily part of the CSDE Windows network. Users can then map network drives and copy files to and from our servers just as they can on the terminal servers or in their offices.

VPN also encrypts all data and network traffic between users computers and the CSDE servers, a feature that offers a degree of protection when working with sensitive or important data. Although one cannot control how network traffic flows from a home computer to the UW campus (that’s up to the ISP and various other mysterious internet forces), VPN uses encryption to shield that traffic from outsiders.

Here are some important things to remember while using Husky OnNet VPN:

Previously opened network connections may be closed upon logging into Huksy OnNet.

VPN is not needed to access the terminal servers or sim clusters.

Log off VPN when not using CSDE resources.

Only connect to the server “UW Campus Network Traffic Only”. Allowing all internet traffic to flow through the VPN slows the connection. Otherwise, all of your network traffic will continue to be funneled through the VPN server, including web browsing, etc. This is unnecessary and may cause delays for all users.

Once connected, it is possible to map network drives as outlined above. When finished, be sure to disconnect.

Connecting to Unix Terminal Servers

X2Go is a Remote Desktop solution that enables users to access a graphical desktop of a computer over a low-bandwidth (or high-bandwidth) connection. This is mainly for access to Linux remote computers, though most operating systems will work with X2Go.

NOTE: X2Go sessions usually take up to 3 minutes to launch the first window after the connection is initiated.

Instructions

Download the X2Go installation file below. Run the file and follow the instructions. All defaults are fine to use.

NOTE: If your connection is already set up, select the server, click connect, and skip to step 4.

After installing X2Go Client, locate and run it. You’ll see a window like the one below. After opening X2Go, click New Session.

A window like the one below will appear; fill out the preferences similarly. In our example, we connected to the Nori server (the session name is “Nori,” and the host is “nori.csde.washington.edu”). To log in, use your UW NetID as your username. The SSH port is 22, and the session type is MATE. After filling out the preferences, click OK.

Now you’ll see the window below. Click on the outlined session box.

After clicking Connect, ensure you have used your UW NetID credentials. Click OK.
NOTE: At the first connection, the Host Key will be unknown, so the verification will fail. Choose Yes to trust the key. After that, as long as the key doesn’t change, the verification will succeed.

After logging in, you have successfully connected. Options are located at the top of the screen, as highlighted below. You may log out at any time via System -> Logout.

NoMachine is a full remote Graphical connection to a Linux Desktop—it makes a Unix server look much like a Windows Remote Desktop experience. Download the NoMachine ENTERPRISE Client and configure it to connect to the CSDE Unix system you wish to use.

Instructions

Download and install the NoMachine enterprise client (not the standard one) at the links below. When configuring a session for the first time, use protocol “ssh” (not “NX”) and select “new virtual desktop.”

Accessing Linux Home Directory from Another System

The ideal way of moving files to and from Linux is by using the H, T, and R drives. These are easy to map to using directions from above. Then in Linux, use the command winmount. Follow the prompts to mount and be sure to use NetID credentials when asked.

If accessing Linux Home directly is preferred, follow the above SFTP directions and point to kahlo.csde.washington.edu or follow the mapping directions and point to \\kahlo.csde.washington.edu\unixhome (or \\128.208.105.1\unixhome). Both systems use the CSDE username and password.